Poetry By Brooks Thomas

Paul Sableman CC




Artists Under the Overpass

There’s a gathering downtown,
More landing spot than destination. 
Where the rich kids buy their weed,
On their low-class vacation. 
For others it’s a home,
A safe place, a new start. 
A fresh field to fight their demons,
And expressing victories through their art. 

This one goes out to,
The artists under the overpass. 
Problem kids with different lives,
Who wrote poetry in P.E. class. 
The unhoused Ulysses,
Who’ve given up on home. 
Writing of the human spirit,
While preferring to work alone. 

There’s a sketchy part of town,
More petrified than gentrified. 
Ministered by the well-meaning,
Cuz their souls have been sanctified. 
This hellscape is a home,
For those with devils in their heart. 
Getting their evils out,
Through the salvation of their art. 

This one goes out to,
The artists under the overpass. 
Quiet kids who’ve been abandoned,
Who drew masterpieces in math class. 
The deadbeat Daedalus,
Living their best life under the bridge. 
Artists with a spray can,
Receiving sneers from the privileged. 

There’s a world of which we know little,
And of which we care a little less. 
Of people that we’ve written off,
Castaways of society’s mess. 
And they’ve written us off too,
For we’ve been ignorant of their state.  
Belittling their humanity,
In everything they create. 

There’s solitary side street,
More salvation than slum. 
Where the people are discarded,
And labeled as bums. 
But they’ve made a home,
Living a life apart. 
Reinventing their renaissance,
And performing their art. 

This one goes out to,
The artists under the overpass. 
Angry kids who’ve been avoided,
Who sang songs in science class. 
The persistent Penelope,
Who perseveres against the odds. 
Writing testimonies of tribulations,
And solemn appeals to the gods. 

​


Brooks Thomas is a history teacher, runner, and occasional poet who writes in a lyrical style. He currently lives in Forest City, Pennsylvania but has also called Pittsburgh and the DC/Maryland/Virginia region his home. Brooks has been published in several anthologies in the United States, Britain, and Canada. You can find his most recent works on Instagram @brooks_thomas_poetry.